Lead Poisoning

Lead is part of our world today. It is found in the air, soil, dust and the paint of some homes or buildings built before 1978. Being exposed to too much lead can cause serious health problems. Lead is never a normal part of your body. The good news is that lead poisoning can be prevented.

Lead Exposure

Lead enters your body each time you inhale leaded dust or fumes, or swallow something that contains lead.

Exposure to lead may occur in several ways:

• Eating foods or drinking water that contain lead.
• Spending time in areas with deteriorating lead-based paint.
• Working in jobs where lead is used.
• Using traditional medicines that contain lead.
• Participating in hobbies that may use lead, like making stained glass or fishing with lead sinkers.

Lead in Adults

The effects of lead are the same whether it enters the body through breathing or swallowing. The main target in the body for lead toxicity is the nervous system. Long-term, and high-level exposure of adults to lead can cause brain and kidney damage. High-level lead exposure in men and women can affect their reproductive health. A pregnant woman's exposure to lead can increase her risk for delivering her baby early, and for having a small baby.

Lead in Children

Children are more vulnerable to lead poisoning than adults because their nervous systems are still developing. Children's bodies absorb more of the lead they take in than adult bodies. Babies and small children can swallow or breathe in lead from contaminated dirt, dust, or sand while they play on the ground or floor. These activities make it easier for children to be exposed because the dirt or dust on their hands, toys, or other items may contain lead. Children are also more sensitive to the effects of lead than adults. Even at low levels of exposure, lead can affect a child's learning, behavior and growth.

Symptoms of Lead Poisoning

People with high levels of lead in their bodies often do not seem sick. The symptoms that might occur are very general and can happen for many reasons. Therefore, the only way to find out if there is too much lead in the blood is a simple blood test.

Your local public health clinic or family doctor can do this test for you. It involves taking a sample of blood from your family member's finger or a vein in their arm. If the blood sample shows a problem with lead, more testing may be done.

The best way to lower a high blood lead level is to prevent continued exposure to lead.

Blood Lead Testing

Blood lead level testing is available for children aged six months to six years through the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program.

These services are available at no cost to residents of Greene County.

Lead Poisoning Staff

• Cathy Johnson, Public Health Investigator II
  Cjohnson@springfieldmo.gov | 417-864-1409
  Cathy has a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology. She has worked in the medical laboratory, environmental laboratory and the environmental health field. She is certified as an Environmental Health Specialist, and is also a licensed Lead Risk Assessor. Cathy also inspects restaurants as a part of the Food Compliance division. Her speciality is performing environmental risk assessments for lead poisoning.
• Machelle Petit, Senior Laboratory Scientist, General Supervisor for CLIA Regulations or Certification
  Mpetit@springfieldmo.gov | 417-864-1672
  Machelle has a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis in Medical Technology. She did her medical internship in Houston, Texas and has been a Medical Technologist since 1987. In 1995 Machelle began working at the Springfield-Greene County Health Department where she has done all the medical testing for the department for 12 years.
  
  In 2008, Machelle was named the Senior Lab Scientist with the merger of the medical and environmental laboratories. She became fully certified to do milk and water testing, along with the medical testing she was previously doing at the health department.
• Ruth Brown, BSN, RN, Community Health Nurse
  rbrown@springfieldmo.gov | 417-874-1217
  Ruth received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Truman State University in 2003. Prior to her work at the health department, Ruth worked as a staff nurse on a Maternal Newborn Care unit in a local hospital. She enjoys her position at the Springfield-Greene County Health Department providing health education to the public.